Chain trick

[Matt. K]

I remember reading many moons ago about an old tip that some wizened photographer wrote about...in fact I have seen many references to this, you buy a length of chain from the hardware store...something not to heavy, and you rig it up so that you can screw one end into your tripod mount on the base of your camera. You then let it dangle down to the ground and put your foot on it, and pull up hard. The camera is now as effectively braced as if it was on a monopod. You have eliminated any up or down unwanted movement. But it is more portable than a monopod because you can roll it up and put it into your camerabag. It also gives you a little more freedom of movement.

[birddog114]

I've read it also, if I'm not wrong somewhere on dpreview but I have never tried so, anyone does?

[Onyx]

Yeah, I remember coming across that too. Except not a chain, but just a length of string, with a weight on the end.